This photo represents one weeks worth of collars at an Atlanta area animal shelter. The dogs and cats that wore these collars are now dead, killed because their families couldn’t find them, and there were no adoptive homes available. Stray and unwanted animals pour into animal shelters daily, and the shelters can’t keep them all. These collars are being recycled by the shelter, with ID tags, for the animals that do make it out of the shelter alive.

 

Strays Not Turn-ins The vast majority of dogs and cats that enter Atlanta area shelters are strays, not turn-ins. And 70% of them are eventually killed.	Few are ever reunited Once a stray animal enters a shelter, only 16.6% of stray dogs and 2.1% of stray cats are ever reunited with their families.
3 days that's it Some Atlanta area shelters hold a stray dog or cat for just 3 days before it can be adopted or killed.	ID tags are the answer 90% of stray animals with ID tags on their collars are reunited with their families.
It can happen to anyone's pet Even the most responsible pet guardians experience circumstances that cause pets to become accidentally lost. Inside dogs and cats bolt out of doors; gates of doors are accidentally left open; noises and smells can cause pets to jump or dig of fences. There are a thousand ways a pet can become separated from its family, and it can happen to anyone.	Even indoor pets need tags Prevention of the problem is easy. All pets, including those that spend most of their time indoors, need to wear collars with ID tags. Special cat collars, with elastic sewn into the band, are recommended for cats. Pets can wear flat tags that are riveted onto the collars, or that slip onto the collar. Plastic tags are available if the sound of jingling tags is annoying to members of the family. We recommend circular fasteners instead of "S" type fasteners to affix tags to your pet’s collar.

Please, don’t let your dog or cat be counted among the strays that don’t leave an animal shelter alive. Purchase an ID tag for your pet today and keep it on at all times. Tags are available from veterinarians, groomers, pet supply stores and on the web. Check the tag regularly to make sure it is still legible. Update it if you move or change your phone number. The more tags we can get on pets, the more space we can free up at animal shelters for the truly homeless animals.

Please make sure your pet has an ID tag on at all times.
Your pet’s life, and your peace of mind could depend on it.